I don’t know if anyone else ever goes through that period of “What the hell am I doing here?!” right after they make or experience major change…but that’s how I’ve been feeling lately. To sum it up, the past 14 months have lead to job changes for both me and Hubby, the sale of our house, a move to another state where we don’t know anyone (putting us further away from family and friends than ever before), and me being pregnant with our first child. And it’s taking its toll…at one of my last doctor’s appointments, I cried uncontrollably the entire time, just because I felt so overwhelmed with all the changes (especially the pregnancy) and had no support outside of my husband, who needed his own. The nurse handled it ok, but the doctor asked if I wanted antidepressants. No! I just want a friend! Why did I have to get pregnant AFTER we left all our friends?

So, I decided to take a break from my pity party to do some actual reflection. I came across two songs that said it all (don’t you love when that happens?). The first is Painting Pictures of Egypt by Sara Groves, which draws a great parallel between how I’ve been feeling and how the Israelites felt when they were going through the desert in their escape from Egypt.

The other song is If You Want Me To by Ginny Owens. I’ve stopped feeling sorry for myself and accepted that God knows things that I have no way of understanding. There’s a reason for everything.

I also remembered that I went through a similar phase when I moved to our previous state. I left everything I knew and was in a place where I didn’t know anyone. I spent 2 or 3 years openly expressing how much I didn’t like it there and my home state was so much better. But eventually, I found a purpose, along with many great friends, and now I really miss that place. God was faithful, and He will be again now and forever.

Heeeeey…and we’re back from commercial break! Sorry for that moment…er…month…of silence. The thing is, I really only had one thing to talk about, but I couldn’t share anything yet. What is this big news?

I’M PREGNANT!!! 🙂

Yep, that’s right. By October, we’re expecting a little bundle of Spanish-American joy. 🙂 Obviously, going through first trimester gloriousness, all I’ve had to talk about is feeling sick, tired, or cravings. Not the greatest blog material, but I think from here on out we’ll be alright. Although, I have found some of my cravings amusing, especially when they come on so randomly. Like the time I woke up and said, “Pancakes!” That’s all I wanted. Right away. Yikes…

And for those of you who might be wondering, no, we weren’t exactly trying. It actually went something like this, “Wow, things are going really well. Yeah, maybe in a few months we could…oh, are those two pink lines? Nevermind!” 🙂 We are SUPER excited, and my husband has already started looking for baby-sized futbol (soccer) jerseys. My brother texts me about once a week, wondering if we know whether it’s a boy or a girl yet. And I’m pretty sure none of our parents have stopped grinning since our announcement. 🙂

And here’s baby’s first picture, at 9 weeks:

It's kinda fuzzy, but you can see the head, torso, and a little hand! Baby was a little wiggly, so it was hard to get a clearer pic.

So, other than that, I’m still housewifing, although I have begun a job search, mainly focusing on at-home opportunities. The flexibility seems to fit well with our current “long term goals.” 😉 I had to take an “assessment” to find out whether I can…I don’t know…follow directions? We’ll see how it goes, I haven’t gotten the results back yet.

As for what I’m not doing: jury duty! I got a letter from my old city, summoning me to yonder East Coast. But one phone call and an email with a scanned copy of my new driver’s license later, I was excused. Apparently, they’re not up for reimbursing 10-hour road trips or authorizing Skype in their courtrooms…yet. The sad thing is, I am one of like 10 other people in the U.S. who would actually enjoy reporting for jury duty! Call me a nerd, but I think it would be interesting. So, there’s a bit of pre-Friday irony for you to savor: me, of all people, getting out of jury duty, no hassle! 🙂 Sorry for those of you who will be dragging your feet to the courthouses. Maybe some day I’ll get to. 🙂

2010…Oy! What a ride! The first few months were alright, but April thru December have been quite the rollercoaster ride. It has been one transitional phase after another, and let me tell you: I am itching to settle into a routine again!

To summarize: Within a matter of days, my grandmother passed away and my husband lost his job (boo!). Then my little brother got married (yay!). We put our house up for sale in a nearly impossible market (boo!). Our house actually sold (yay!)! My husband got a job offer – in a different state (yay!). We moved from our house to a friend’s apartment to an extended stay hotel into our new house in Georgia (boo!). We got to travel to Mexico and Minnesota and visit friends and family during the holidays before my husband starts his new job (yay!).

*Whew*

I’m actually kind of looking forward to getting back to our new place in Georgia, just so I can start unpacking and establish something that resembles a daily schedule! Oh, and bonus: I get to start my own job-search, only this time it’ll be focused on something that I can do from home (yay!). 😉 And of course, I’ll be able to focus on blogging more regularly and keep you all updated on my new life as a southern housewife and my job search.

So, here’s looking at you, 2011! Here’s to a clean slate – a new year, a fresh start! 🙂